In The News

Defeat for President Ford as the House rejects his Administration’s effort to lift the six-month-old embargo on arms shipments to Turkey.

President Ford attempts to break the impasse with Congress over energy by proposing a new oil pricing plan that would mean motorists will pay an additional 6 cents a gallon for gasoline by the end of 1978. The President said the decontrol plan would place a limit of $11.50 a barrel on Sept 1 on the cost of domestic oil produced since 1973. The current level of such oil is around $13 a barrel. The $11.50 ceiling world gradually increase by a nickel each month for the next 39 months – allowing oil prices to gradually creep back to the level of world prices.

A coalition of underground political and labor groups call on Spaniards to join in efforts to overthrow the authoritarian regime of Gen. Francisco Franco and replace it with a democratic system.

A fire fighter was only seconds away from completing a successful rescue when a fire escape collapsed, sending a young woman and a 2-year-old child plunging five floors to the ground. The woman was killed and child was injured.

The final Apollo and its three-man crew end a history-making flight with the Russians and closing a pioneering chapter in the U.s. space program. Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton splashed down in the Pacific about 200 miles west of Hawaii.

President Ford begins a 10-day swing through Europe – first stop is Bonn than on to Warsaw. He laid a wreath on a monument of Auschwitz, Poland.

The Army suspends the testing of chemical compounds on human volunteers. It said its inspector general had been ordered to check on what is called “some possible adverse information” about Dr. Van Sim, who has headed such testing programs for 19 years.

The U.S. and 15 other nations of the Organization of American States vote to lift mandatory economic and political sanctions they imposed 11 years ago against Cuba.

The House hands President Ford his first veto defeat of the year, voting to override his rejection of a $2 billion health service authorization bill.

Jimmy Hoffa - former Teamsters President is reported missing after his car is found abandoned outside a restaurant in Michigan ... Authorities are concentrating on his last reported engagement - a luncheon date 48 hours earlier with a reputed Mafia kingpin and close friend (Anthony Giacalone).

In Helsinki, leaders of 35 nations sign a broad-East-West security agreement as the final act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The 100-page document recognizes Europe as its map emerged after World War II and forswears forcible changes of boundaries while calling for increased East-West cooperation. German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt signed first. Also signing - President Ford, Leonid I Brezhnev and President Tito (83) of Yugoslavia - the senior Communist leader in Europe. President Ford said past agreements have been made a mockery and that this one must be different if détente is to be permanent. “The people of both Europe and the United States are thoroughly tired of having their hopes raised and then shattered by empty words and unfulfilled pledges. We had better say that we mean and mean what we say or we will have the anger of our citizens to answer. Every signatory should know that if these agreements are to be more than the latest chapter in a long and sorry volume of unfulfilled declarations, every party must be dedicated to making them come true.”

Still overseas, President Ford visits Auschwitz, Poland to pay tribute to an estimated 4 million Jews who died there. The death camp has been an international monument for years.

The nation posed a trade surplus of $1.7 billion in June - the largest monthly surplus in history (so far) according to the Commerce Department. It was the fifth straight month that U.S. exports had exceeded imports of foreign goods. Government trade analysts said the record June surplus was largely the result of lower U.S. imports of foreign oil at 118.2 million barrels.

Three members of Ireland’s best-known pop band “The Miami Show” are slain and one injured when Protestant extremists ambushed the group while they were traveling in Northern Ireland. Survivors say they were flagged down by a man in army-style uniform waving a red light. “A member of the gang then approached the vehicle and asked the occupants for their names and addresses. The band members were told to get out of their bus for what they thought was an official search.” “Then two men, both wearing military uniforms, took a bomb from a nearby parked car, but it exploded prematurely, killing them both. The other guerrillas panicked and shot four of the band members.”

Now at bookstores – “Nice Guys Finish Last” by Leo Durocher.

Technology news – July 24, 1975

Television news – July 24, 1975

Debuting Thursday – “Almost Anything Goes” – a competitive event show in which teams compete in a round of games reminiscent of three-legged races of old-fashioned family picnics. Lynn Shackelford, Charlie Jones and Dick Whittington reports.

The heads of five national broadcasting organizations launch a campaign to improve the UHF television picture – that is – to make television receivers better at receiving those channels between 14 and 69. There are 195 commercial UHF stations and 147 public TV stations. They want TV receivers to get better UHF reception by lowering noise and improved antennas.

ABC says Harry Reasoner will become the solo anchor of its nightly network newscast. Reasoner had been co-anchoring with Howard K. Smith - who will remain on the newscast as commentator. The change comes official in September. Total network news numbers are up - more people are watching all three networks for news. Since 1970 - the ABC Evening news increased its national audience 77%, from 3.5 million homes to 6.2 million homes. That compares to CBS with a 14% increase and NBC with a 9% increase over the same period.

Actress Ann Francis will make her TV musical debut on an episode of “Barnaby Jones.” She’ll perform her own singing and dancing.

The Tomorrow show w/Tom Snyder - An airline pilot discusses hazards in flying.

Music news – July 24, 1975

On the syndicated Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert this week – Labelle, Guess Who and the Average White Band.

“The Midnight Special” will feature less rock and more variety.

Col. Tom Parker who manages Elvis Presley learns that the singer just bought him his very own airplane for $1.2 million and is on his way to pick him up in Las Vegas. The plane is a Grumman Gulf stream and only seats 12. The colonel doesn’t like to fly in big planes.

Elvis is at it again ... In Memphis - Mennie Person (33) is caught by surprise while she admired Presley’s custom-made Cadillac outside a dealer. “He said, that one’s mine, but’ I’ll buy you one.” The car she selected was a gold and white Cadillac, listing for $11,500. When Elvis found out it was her birthday, he wished her Happy Birthday and told an aide to writer her a check “to buy some clothes to go with the car.”

Singer Dionne Warwick sues compser Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David for $5.5 million claiming they failed to produce two record albums under a contract with Warner Brothers Records. Miss Warwick says the contract was made in 1971 while the pair acted as her managers.

New albums this week are released from Graham Central Station, Fleetwood Mac, Gary Wright, B.T. Express and Conway Twitty.

Check these albums, available from the new record company - Arista Records: